LaTroy Hawkins knew he wasn't pitching well. The Yankees fans who booed him knew he was struggling. The Yankees front office and the coaching staff all knew Hawkins was having a hard time. There was just no hiding it.

And Hawkins, the veteran reliever, appreciated that Dave Eiland just came out and talked about it with him.

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"He's honest. Sometimes, he's brutally honest, but he lets you know what's going on, what he's thinking and what the team is thinking," the former Met and Yankee reliever said. "A pitching coach's job is to help you get better and Dave is there to do that for you.

"But he won't coddle you."

Eiland has been described as knowledgeable and effective, straightforward and no-nonsense by those who have worked with him in the past.

Dave Eiland has plenty of experience as a pitching coach, and the Mets hope bringing in a fresh voice can lead to a turnaround for their struggling arms. (Carlos Osorio/AP)

"He's a real professional," said one Royals front office staffer. "He gets results and he's not about eye wash. He will work with a pitcher and try anything to make them comfortable and do whatever they need to do to get through a season."

The rebuilding Royals let Eiland, along with Don Wakamatsu, go after six seasons last month in a staff shakeup. The Mets hired him last month and the 51-year-old native of Florida will be an integral part of any turnaround in 2018. Built around power arms that have gone off the rails since their 2015 World Series appearance — coincidentally losing to Eiland's much less hyped stable of Royals pitchers — the Mets depend largely on the ability of those players to get back on track after a 70-win season.

Eiland, who won World Series rings with the Yankees and Royals, will be pretty familiar with what his new charges have gone through. In 2014-15, he had the Royals' staff among the top three in the American League. In 2016-17, injuries and the loss of Wade Davis had the Royals pitching staff drop to the middle of the pack in the major leagues.

It is similar to where the Mets find themselves.

LaTroy Hawkins, who pitched under both Dave Eiland and Dan Warthen, says it's more on the pitchers to make the most of their coaches. (Al Behrman/AP)

After 10 seasons with Dan Warthen at the helm of their stable of pitchers, the Mets made a dramatic change this fall. Besides naming a former pitching coach, Mickey Callaway, as their manager, they fired Warthen — and they did so over the loud protests of their pitchers.

Noah Syndergaard was pointed and emotional in his argument against firing Warthen while Jacob deGrom was quieter but just as disappointed. Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia were also adamant in telling the front office that they wished to continue working with Warthen.

The Mets front office, however, felt that the pitching staff needed a new voice. They complained privately that Warthen was not cooperative enough with the rest of the organization. Last winter, the front office tried to blame Warthern for the struggles of catchers Travis d'Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki, saying he was being tough on them and undermining their confidence. In the end, the front office charged that Warthen was "too close" with his pitchers.

Hawkins laughed when he heard that criticism of Warthen.

The Mets moved on from Dan Warthen despite several vocal protests from high-profile pitchers on the team. (Kathy Kmonicek/AP)

"I still consider Dave (Eiland) a good friend," Hawkins said. "Whenever I came to New York, we'd get together if we could. I was friends with Dan too, and I will always credit him with helping me get better as a pitcher.

"Being friendly or friends doesn't stop you from doing your job as a pitching coach," Hawkins added. "I think people want to blame the pitching coach when the pitchers don't do their jobs."

Hawkins said he didn't see much difference in the approach between Eiland and Warthen. The now-retired reliever said both contributed to his career and both are excellent pitching coaches.

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"The bottom line is that a pitcher has to make the most of working with a pitching coach. Dave Eiland will work with you and help you, but as a pitcher, you have to work with him, you have to put the work in," Hawkins said. "I am a big fan of Dave Eiland and I think he can help a staff.

"But the pitchers have to do the work, and they will make the difference."